Car-journal lubricator



T. J. HOLMES.

CAR JOURNAL LUBRICATOR. APPLICATION FILED OCT. 11. 1919.

1,367,741 Patented Feb. 8, 1921.

J 4 J1 J0 48 THOMAS 1. Houses, on cnroaeo, ILLINOIS.

CAR-JOURNAL L'UBrucA'roR.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Application filed Qctober 11, 1919. Serial No. 330,072.

To all whom it may concern a Be it known that I, THOMAS J. IIoLMns, a citizen of the United States, and a resident of Chicago, Cook county, Illinois, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Cardournal Lubricators, of which the following isa specification.

My invention relates to devices for lubricating car journals. I

In my copending application Serial No. 283,212 filed March 17, 1919 on car journal lubricators I have illustrated a device which is substantially the same as that illustrated herewith, with the exception that the present disclosure contains the addition of gravityoperated means for forcing the lubricant in the device to its discharge opening at the journal. The present device, like that of my said application, contemplates the use of heavy greases instead of fluid oils as the lubricant, and these improvementsupon the device of my said copending application have for their chief object the provision of means which will make more positive the travel of the lubricant through the device at all times, including, for instance, periods of cold weather, when the grease is likely to have more solidity than its normal consistency, and, also to make feasible the use of normally heavier greases, by that meaning thicker and stiffer greases, than would be possible under all conditions in the device of my said copendingapplication.

In the accompanying drawings, which form a part, of this specification, Figure 1 is a fragmentary sectional view of a car journal box, the journal in full sideview, and my improved device in medial longitudinal section and in operative position;

Fig. 2 is a sectional view of the box on the line 2--2 of Fig. 1 showing the present improvements in front end view, parts being broken away to show construction;

Fig. 3 is a perspective view toward the bottom of the piston-like weight device;

Fig. 4' is a perspective of the device of Fig. 3 directed'towardthe top thereof; and

Fig. 5 is a perspective of two weights.

The journal 10 and the journal box or casing 11, having a door 12, are shown in the usual form.

The friction piece 15 is of metal, suitably cast brass or bronze. It has laterally extended cars 16, preferably positioned somewhat forward of the middle of the friction piece 15 to balance the spring pressure, and. these ears 16 are provided with integral bosses 17 adapted to accommodate the coiled springs 18 respectively, which. springs are held in position at their lower ends upon the base plate 19 by the bosses 2O thereon, pins 21 projecting from the bosses retaining the springs.

The friction piece 15 has a bearing surface which conforms to the surface of the journal, as in my former application mentioned, and it is provided with a discharge opening at 25, at about the middle of the friction piece, which opening is substantially rectangular in conformitywith the general shape of the conduit QGterminating thereat. This opening 25 is encompassed or surrounded by the surface of the friction piece adapted to contact the journal. f

The conduit 26 is formed by walls preferably cast integral with the friction piece 15. These conduit walls extend in a for wardly and downwardly direction from the discharge opening whereby the conduit 26 passes beneath the flange 30 of the journal The bottom wall 31 of the conduit then extends forwardly and upwardly as the wall 32, and then this relatively small pipe-like channel 26 widens out to form a relatively large reservoir 33 adapted to contain a 1113- terial quantity of the thick and heavy grease which is to be used. This reservoir 33 is de fined by the front wall 32, side walls 31 and the rear wall 35, the rear wall being substantially close to the end of the journal 10.

The front wall 32 and the rear wall 35 are in parallel planes. as are the side walls 3%, and these reservoir walls extend a material distance above the dotted line A-B, Fig. 1, which line indicates the lowermost surface of the friction piece 15 adapted to bear against the journal, and also the lineat or about which grease from the conduit '26 emerges to contact the journal. From Fig. 2 itwill be noted that the reservoir walls ex tend somewhat above the axis of the journal. l Vit-h the reservoir made according to the proportions shown it will contain enough of the heavy grease for a very great mileage at one filling. By reason of the fact that the main bul of the grease in the reservoir 38 is above the line AB a hydrostatic head of grease is provided which forces the grease into contact with the journal under many conditions as to the consistency of the grease and asto Patented Feb. 8 1921.

the weather, and in my said copending ap- '7 ably.

I have found from much experience with lubricants that the quite heavy greases are peculiarly valuable in such lubrication as for car journals, and that a relatively small quantity thereof will give a remarkably great mileage. In order to make these heavier greases available for car journal lubrication, and to insure a suitable few of the lubricant under all conditions of the weather I provide a piston-like weight de vice 40 interfitting slidably between the opposite walls of the reservoir 33 and resting upon the grease therein whereby theweight of this gravity-controlled plunger'40causes the desired flow of the lubricant through the channel 26.

This weight member 40 may suitably be in the form of a pan-like metal container having a bottom wall 41, side walls 42 and end walls 43. It may be stamped up according to practices well understood. On the bottom wall 41 I secure, as by rivets, the gasket 44, which may be of leather, rubber, composition or any other suitable material. its outer edges project slightly be yond the walls 42 and whereby these gasket edges may contact the inner sur faces of the walls forming the reservoir 33.

The weight device 40 is given material thickness in the up-and-down directions so that the part thereof extending above the gasket 44 will maintain this weightdevice in the reservoir against its tilting objection- In order that various degrees of pres sure may be applied to the grease according to particular conditions as to the consistency of the grease or as to the weather I provide a plurality of weights as 47 and 48, which may conveniently have a slot 49 whereby they may readily be placed in position in the container-like device 40 with the slot 49 providing clearance for the lifting rod 50 rigidly secured to the bottom wall 41.

This rod 50 is provided with a handle 51, and thus the weight device 40 may be easily taken out of the chamber 33 for refilling the device. This rod 50 is in the form of a pipe which is open at its top, at 52, and also at its bottom, at 53 (Figs. 3 and 4). This pipe 50 extends through the bottom wall 41 of the weight device 40, and a flap-valve 54 secured, as by rivets, to the bottom 41 closes the opening 53 when the weight device 40 is pressing upon the grease. lVh'en it is desired to lift the device 40 out of the chamber 33 a slight upward movement of the device 40 causes this flap-valve to open, admitting air beneath the weight device and I thus relieving the tendency to produce a vacuum there, which tendency would be very great in view of the heaviness of the grease and the piston-like construction.

1. In a lubricating device for a journahf the combination of a friction piece having a friction surface substantially conforming to the bearing surface of the journal to be lubricated, substantially from endjto end of the friction piece, means for yieldingly' forcing said friction piece against said journal when the device is normally in use, said friction piece having an opening surrounded by said friction surface, walls forming a continuous pipe-like channel for grease extending normally forward longitudinally beneath said friction surface and in communication with said opening, walls forming a reservoir for grease in communication with said channel, said reservoir walls extending upward, and a gravitycontrolled piston in said reservoir normally above the grease therein.

2. In a lubricating device for a journal, the combination of a friction piece having a friction surface substantially conforming to the bearing surface of the journal to be lubricated substantially from end to end of the friction piece, means for yieldingly forcing said friction piece. against saidjournal when the device is normally in use, said friction. piece having an opening substan tially in the lower middle portion of said friction surface, walls forming a continuous pipe-like channel beginning at said opening and extending downward and forward and terminating in an upwardly extending reservoir 'for grease normally in front of the journal to be lubricated, the walls of said reservoir extending to ma terial height above said opening to provide a hydrostatic head of the grease substantially filling said reservoir, and a gravitycontrolled piston in said reservoir normally above the grease therein.

3. In a lubricating device for a journal, the combination of a friction piece having a friction surface substantially conforming to the bearing surface of the journal to be lubricated substantially from end to end THOMAS J'. HOLMES. 

